by Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports

by Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports

It's the one-word message Pagano has printed on T-shirts and preached this offseason.

It is up to everyone to decide if this is the year to finish the objective printed on last year's shirts: "Hoist it."

From those Lombardi T-shirts, to a wireless network at the Colts training camp compound with the password "Super Bowl 49," the Colts believe this is the season they should be playing in February.

Pagano spoke with USA TODAY Sports about quarterback Andrew Luck's development, why this camp has less contact this year and how he believes his team will handle the Super Bowl expectations.

Q: Some coaches would shy away from talking so openly about the Super Bowl in training camp. Why are you embracing it?

Pagano: Year 3, it's like, we took a step last year. We need to take the next one this year, and it's just a matter of deciding, collectively, individually, as an organization, what are you willing to give up? What are you willing to sacrifice to give yourself a chance to hoist that trophy and dance under the confetti? ... Our guys believe it. The goal is out there. We understand what it is. I know we're going to win one. I don't know when that's going to happen. These guys don't know when that's going to happen. But if you do this, this and this - you just work the process, eventually you'll get there.

Q: What is it that you think makes them capable of handling those expectations?

A: We've got a great quarterback, you know? A great quarterback, great weapons around him. Veteran leadership. Made some great acquisitions in the offseason. It isn't pressure. With expectations, when you throw that stuff out there, when you put a bunch of pressure on yourself to reach those goals, you don't do anything different. You just keep working to get better.

Q: How can Luck be better?

A: He had experience with (offensive coordinator) Pep (Hamilton) in college, but it's now his second year in that system here. Things are going to slow down for him, managing the offense, managing bad plays, managing his fundamentals and technique. He's going to have better chemistry with the additions we've given him. With Andrew, we always talk about, "See a little, see a lot. See a lot, see nothing." For him, the game is slowing down. He's starting to see things now.

Q: Trent Richardson didn't make the impact last year as you were likely expecting when you traded for him. What are the expectations for him this year?

A: He's got higher expectations for himself than anyone else could put on him. Going through what he went through, those circumstances, he makes no excuses, we'll make no excuses. Having a full offseason, being here, understanding and having a full grasp of the playbook - when I think of Trent, I think back to his last year in college, having 1,700 yards on the ground in the SEC. The SEC is as close to the NFL as you're going to get, so the sky is the limit for him.

Q: You have only practiced in full pads once so far in camp. Why so little? Is it a reaction to having so many guys injured in 2013?

A: Everyone will say we're not in full pads, but when you have a helmet and shoulder pads, whether you put the pants on, the knee and thigh pads, nobody is tackling anybody anymore. We're not going to go full speed at tackling anyway. We're going to have injuries, they are part of the game, but we're going to control what we can control. ... I have no doubt in my mind, when the whistle blows and we're in a real game, they are going to fly around and they are going to be physical.

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